China sourcing approval pack for schools and charities
Before committing, assemble the purchase brief, delegated authority, funding conditions, declared interests, comparable alternatives and a recorded decision. Identify who can approve the contract and release payments, and keep unresolved conditions visible. Request supplier evidence from Cambridge China Bridge.
Start with the buyer and purchasing authority
Name the organisation entering the contract, the intended users, the budget owner and the authorised signatory. Attach the relevant purchasing policy and delegation record. Show separately who can approve supplier selection, sign the order and release payments. Use our order and payment approval guide for the operational controls.
Department for Education guidance says schools should check their own procurement rules when identifying purchase value bands. Ask your procurement lead to confirm the applicable buying route before supplier selection. The Charity Commission guidance used here applies to England and Wales; for a charity elsewhere in the UK, check the relevant regulator’s guidance rather than treating it as a UK-wide rulebook.
Attach funding conditions and a complete budget
Attach the grant agreement, award letter or donor restrictions, with a note explaining which costs you propose to charge to that funding. Ask the funder about unclear conditions, including deposits, overseas sourcing, eligible expenditure, delivery deadlines and reporting evidence. Keep written clarification alongside the approval request.
For charities in England and Wales, restricted funds must be spent, managed and accounted for according to their rules. Map each proposed cost to its permitted purpose. Build the budget around goods, testing, transport, tax, delivery, installation and ongoing support, identifying exclusions and uncertain costs. Use our landed price guide rather than comparing factory prices alone.
Declare connections before evaluating suppliers
Ask everyone preparing or approving the purchase to declare connections with the factory, sourcing company or competing suppliers. Include family relationships, ownership, referral payments, gifts and outside roles. Record the declaration, the proposed handling and who will evaluate the offers independently.
For charities in England and Wales, a good deal does not remove a financial conflict. Payments to a trustee or an organisation connected to a trustee require specific authority. Keep the conflict record and the authority to pay as separate checks; if either is unresolved, pause the recommendation and obtain advice before commitment.
Document realistic alternatives
Compare China sourcing with a UK supplier, an available framework option, repair or reuse, and postponing the purchase where relevant. Give each viable option the same specification and assessment headings: delivered cost, suitability, product evidence, delivery risk, installation, support and replacement arrangements. Our supplier quote comparison guide helps expose differences hidden in offers.
Explain why the preferred option meets the need and why alternatives were rejected. Keep quotations and correspondence, and mark estimates or unanswered questions clearly. If only a single supplier appears suitable, record your search and the evidence for that conclusion. A comparison note supports the decision; ask your procurement lead whether a separate buying process is needed.
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Record approval and control commitment
Present the final specification, chosen supplier, quotation version, total budget, funding check, conflict record and alternatives together. Record approval, rejection or deferral, with reasons and any conditions. Charity Commission decision-making guidance for England and Wales calls for records of conflicts, information used, options considered and the main reasons for the decision.
Make conditions actionable by naming an owner and the evidence needed to close them. Recommend holding contract signature, deposit payment and production instructions until those conditions are resolved. Ask Cambridge China Bridge’s staff in China for factory information, sample records and answers to supplier questions. Return changes to the specification, supplier, budget or funding basis to the approver before proceeding.
Frequently asked questions
Who should approve a school’s China order?
Check the school or trust’s purchasing policy and delegation record. Name the supplier-selection approver, contract signatory and payment authoriser separately in the pack.
Can a charity use grant funding for a China order?
Check the award terms against the goods and every associated cost. Ask the funder to clarify uncertain conditions in writing before recommending the purchase.
Does a cheaper supplier remove a trustee conflict?
No. Record how the conflict is managed and check any authority needed to pay a trustee-connected supplier.
What alternatives should an approval pack include?
Include relevant UK supply, framework options, repair, reuse and postponement. Compare viable options against the same need, delivered cost, evidence and support criteria, recording reasons for rejection.